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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 28 February 2023
Mexican president disparages pro-democracy demonstrators

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ democratic processes and
Associated Press the rule of law.”
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- López Obrador said last
ico’s president lashed out Thursday that he’ll sign the
Monday at demonstra- changes into law, even
tors who protested cuts to though he expects court
election funding over the challenges. Many at Sun-
weekend, belittling their day’s protest expressed
concerns about threats to hope that Mexico’s Su-
democracy and dashing preme Court would over-
any hopes that he would turn some of the changes,
try to ease rising political as courts have done with
tensions. other presidential initiatives.
President Andrés Manuel Lorenzo Cordova, the head
López Obrador seemed to of the National Electoral In-
revel in the conflict, hurling stitute, has said the reforms
insults at the tens of thou- “seek to cut thousands of
sands of people who dem- people who work every
onstrated in Mexico City’s day to guarantee trustwor-
main plaza, calling them thy elections, something
thieves and allies of drug that will of course pose a
traffickers. risk for future elections.”
“There was an increase in The president’s strident
the number of pick pock- Anti-government demonstrators protest against recent reforms pushed by President Andres pushback against the judi-
ets stealing wallets here in Manuel Lopez Obrador to the country’s electoral law that they say threaten democracy, in Mexico ciary, as well as regulatory
City’s main square, The Zocalo, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023.
the Zocalo, but what do Associated Press and oversight agencies,
you want, with so many has raised fears among
white-collar criminals in funds should be redirected Few at Sunday’s demon- Vote!” Like a similar but some that he is seeking to
one place?” López Obra- to helping the poor. stration had any kind words somewhat larger protest on reinstitute the practices
dor said at his daily morn- Riffing on the protesters’ for López Obrador, either. Nov. 13, the demonstrators of the old PRI, which bent
ing press briefing. slogan “Don’t touch the “The path he is taking is appeared somewhat more the rules to retain Mexico’s
At the root of the conflict INE (National Electoral Insti- toward socialism, commu- affluent than those at the presidency for 70 years until
are plans by López Obra- tute),” López Obrador said nism,” said Fernando Guti- average demonstration. its defeat in the 2000 elec-
dor, which were approved their slogans were “Don’t errez, 55, a small business- The heated nature of the tions.
last week by Mexico’s Sen- touch corruption,” “Don’t man. “That’s obvious, from debate drew attention Elections in Mexico are ex-
ate, to cut salaries and touch privileges,” “Don’t the aid going to Cuba,” from the U.S. government. pensive by international
funding for local election touch the Narco Govern- Gutierrez said. López Ob- “Today, in Mexico, we see a standards, in part because
offices, and scale back ment.” rador has imported coro- great debate on electoral almost all legal campaign
training for citizens who “They don’t care about de- navirus vaccines, medical reforms that are testing the financing is, by law, sup-
operate and oversee poll- mocracy, what they want is workers and stone railway independence of electoral plied by the government.
ing stations. The changes to continue with the oligar- ballast from Cuba, but has and judicial institutions,” The electoral institute also
would also reduce sanc- chy, the rule of the rich,” shown little taste for social- Brian A. Nichols, the U.S. issues the secure voter ID
tions for candidates who the president said. ist policies at home. assistant secretary of state cards that are the most
fail to report campaign Demonstrators say the Sunday’s demonstrators for Western hemisphere af- commonly accepted form
spending. electoral law changes ap- were clad mostly in white fairs, wrote in his Twitter ac- of identification in Mexico,
López Obrador denies the proved last week threaten and pink — the color of count. “The United States and oversees balloting
reforms are a threat to de- democracy and could the National Electoral In- supports independent, in the remote and often
mocracy and says criticism mark a return to past prac- stitute — and shouted slo- well-resourced electoral dangerous corners of the
is elitist. He argues that the tices of vote manipulation. gans like “Don’t Touch my institutions that strengthen country.q

Gérard Latortue, former interim Haitian

premier, dies at 88

and unite the country after 2004 following months of after the violent revolt.
a violent coup in the mid- bloodshed and political In September 2005, he wel-
2000s, has died. He was 88. strife that left more than comed former U.S. State
Prime Minister Ariel Henry 300 dead and culminated Secretary Condoleezza
announced Latortue’s in the ouster of former Presi- Rice to Haiti, where she
death Monday, saying it dent Jean-Bertrand Aris- stressed the need for local
was a tremendous loss for tide. The turmoil at the time officials to accelerate the
the nation. He described prompted the U.S. military process to hold general
Latortue as “a reformer, a to escalate its mission in elections. Latortue said at
Haitian interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue attends the 11th convinced patriot, an emi- Haiti. In a July 2004 interview the time that his administra-
general conference of the United Nations Industrial Development nent technocrat, a voice of with The Associated Press tion shared the same con-
Organization (UNIDO) at the Austria Center in Vienna, Nov. 28, change, of development in Washington, Latortue cerns as the U.S. govern-
2005. (and) a supporter of de- vowed to fight corruption ment and the international
Associated Press mocracy.” and disarm powerful gangs community, and that the
Latortue was a former exile as he requested $1.3 billion administration would honor
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) mer interim prime minister who was sworn in as inter- from the international com- the results of the upcoming
— Gérard Latortue, a for- of Haiti who helped rebuild im prime minister in March munity to help rebuild Haiti elections.q